Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
05-17-2017, 09:13 PM - 3 Likes   #1
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: San Antonio, TX
Photos: Albums
Posts: 519
2017 Fair contenders C&C requested

Hi All,

I've got a favor to ask. I'm planning on entering my local county fair's visual art's competition and I've got a lot of pictures I really like. More than I want to enter. I'd like to winnow these down to 10 maybe 12 at most.

I'd like to get some critiques on these as well. I want to include one of star trails, but I'm not sure which one is better.

I've got a thick skin and can take criticism.

Please don't hold the fact that only one of these was shot with a Pentax against me. I only got my K-1 last month.

Sorry about the large number of pictures. But please help me. These are in no particular order by the way.






































Last edited by Craigbob; 05-17-2017 at 11:07 PM. Reason: I forgot an Image
05-17-2017, 09:55 PM   #2
Forum Member




Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Riga, Latvia
Posts: 98
All of them are very nice...I particularly like No 3 and 4. Do you want some remarks regarding each frame?
05-17-2017, 10:15 PM   #3
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: San Antonio, TX
Photos: Albums
Posts: 519
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by madphys Quote
All of them are very nice...I particularly like No 3 and 4. Do you want some remarks regarding each frame?
If you feel like giving any. I'd love to hear what others think. I only want one star trail so please let me know which you prefer.
05-17-2017, 10:19 PM   #4
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 1,162
Firstly, let me say I'd be happy taking any of these........so for what it's worth: I think sunsets have been done to death and sunset photo's bore me to tears these days. Of the rest I particularly like the first and last ones (although the blown handrail highlights are a bit distracting). I also like the two astro photo's and the locks. The moon one would be nearly perfect if you'd got it a few minutes earlier while you could see the whole of the moon. But my favourite of the lot is the one of the posts in the water, followed closely by the people on the beach.

If i were entering I'd enter the posts, people on a beach, the star trails, padlocks and the first and last ones. Just my 2 cents of course.

05-17-2017, 11:27 PM   #5
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: San Antonio, TX
Photos: Albums
Posts: 519
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by carlb Quote
Firstly, let me say I'd be happy taking any of these........so for what it's worth: I think sunsets have been done to death and sunset photo's bore me to tears these days. Of the rest I particularly like the first and last ones (although the blown handrail highlights are a bit distracting). I also like the two astro photo's and the locks. The moon one would be nearly perfect if you'd got it a few minutes earlier while you could see the whole of the moon. But my favourite of the lot is the one of the posts in the water, followed closely by the people on the beach.

If i were entering I'd enter the posts, people on a beach, the star trails, padlocks and the first and last ones. Just my 2 cents of course.
Thank you for the feed back. Ihad forgotten an image and have just added it. Please take a look and let me know what you think about that one.

The moon is rising in the picure and not setting, so I'd have had to wait a couple more minutes, but I get what you're saying. I also understand about the blown highlights on the rail.

Which of the Star trails do you like best?

The Pilings in the water are a definite for me too as are the Locks

The first is also a definite for me. though I'm on the fence about the spiral staircase.

Again thanks for the feedback.
05-17-2017, 11:37 PM   #6
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 1,162
I love the dog photo - I'd definitely put that one in. I understand about the moon one - still a good shot though. I like both of the star trails but I'm leaning towards the first one. All good shots though....good luck
05-18-2017, 12:13 AM   #7
Forum Member




Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Riga, Latvia
Posts: 98
Ok - just remember - i provide my personal opinion.

1) The content seems too casual, yes there are some eye catching lines, but overall I could say - it is too casual (for a contest at least). Plus the yellowish look of the artificial light doesn't add to the appeal of the shot.
2) Overall nice but the framing is not as good. The right part of the frame - a car, parking lot, concrete bankside - destroy the harmony of the frame. In this case I would have went with a higher focal length and a vertical shot to exclude distractions.
3) I really like it - not match that can be added - maybe in post the foreground could be brightened up a bit.
4) The mood and colors even if they are slightly unrealistic are quite appealing.
5) Overall good shot but the noise and color rendition brings it down. I suppose it is a handheld shot...
6) Also really nice shot - I like the moment, choice of the focal length but something is off. I can't even put into words why it seems a bit off...I would say - vantage point is not the best, horizontal centering of the moon also seems odd to the eye plus the foreground road signs (the vantage point thing and framing) also are not flattering.
7) Astro star trails - the ground scene is too boring - there is nothing going on. If there have been at lest some reflections in the water (super calm water) then it might have turned out a little better.
8) Nicely done but the motive has been seen many times. This one though is better than the previous.
9)Interesting place. Background buildings don't quite belong in this frame - a different angle and experimentation with DOF could have produced "better" results
10) Not much to say -nice shot - just the horizon is few degrees off.
11) Very nice - basically I can't find anything worth mentioning
12) Very nice blossoms - I like the look - not much to say
13) Tiger eyes - not much to add - fine
14) Jellyfish - lacks sharpness a bit
15) Birds - rather central composition - imho not the best choice for this scene
16) Many colors, many shapes - overall nice - I don't have any worth mentioning remarks.
17) Nice spiral geometry - in a sense classic but well executed.

I hope this heps

05-18-2017, 01:53 AM   #8
Pentaxian




Join Date: Feb 2009
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 345
First, wonderful photos, really difficult to choose…

Now, just a personal opinion, and probably I’m indicating the photos that do no “sell” in a competition, but here it is:

- Number one - but the palm tree is killing it, so choose it just if you can clone the palm tree (the part that appears against the sky) out;
- The tiger - but just if you can crop the black left side out of the picture;
- The last one - outstanding, go for it.

Best regards,
05-18-2017, 03:09 AM   #9
Des
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Des's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Victoria Australia
Photos: Albums
Posts: 6,410
The two star trails, the posts in the sea and the white flowers are the standouts for me. Spiral staircase is good too - grainy B&W works well - but I'm afraid these sorts of shots have become overdone.
QuoteOriginally posted by Craigbob Quote
I only want one star trail so please let me know which you prefer.
The one with the observatory.

Last edited by Des; 05-18-2017 at 03:22 AM.
05-18-2017, 08:28 AM   #10
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: San Antonio, TX
Photos: Albums
Posts: 519
Original Poster
For MadPhy and DDHarriman,

Here's a couple of edits on the first one (admiditedly a very quick clone job before I left for work this morning)

First is the bridge in the natural color, and I admit to going back and forth between this version and the original, but something about the yellow just draws me in more than the natural color version. And I hate the color yellow. I think it works better against the sky color.

the second is the same natural color with the top of the tree cloned out (very hasitly and not very precise). I like it without the tree top poking up, but I'm concerned about the trunk still being visible through the slats.



05-18-2017, 09:08 AM   #11
Pentaxian
photoptimist's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2016
Photos: Albums
Posts: 5,113
I'd look carefully at the winners from recent years because the subjective tastes of the judges are what matters.

For example, maybe you should submit only pictures with people in them or maybe it should be "natural beauty". Did any urban or architecture shots ever win? Do the judges hate sunsets? Is there a bias toward exotic locations or toward your own county?

Good luck!
05-18-2017, 09:56 AM   #12
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: San Antonio, TX
Photos: Albums
Posts: 519
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by photoptimist Quote
I'd look carefully at the winners from recent years because the subjective tastes of the judges are what matters.

For example, maybe you should submit only pictures with people in them or maybe it should be "natural beauty". Did any urban or architecture shots ever win? Do the judges hate sunsets? Is there a bias toward exotic locations or toward your own county?

Good luck!
Here's a gallery of last year's winners.
2017 OC Fair Competitions


As best as I can tell, they're all over the place. To be honest, While I'd love to win something, I'd be happy just to have a picture (or more than one) chosen to be displayed.

Thanks.
05-18-2017, 11:31 AM - 1 Like   #13
PEG Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Kerrowdown's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 57,760
For me I think the most original striking image is number nine, the one with all the poles sticking out of the water, a clear winner. With maybe just a wee tweak to straighten up to vertical the posts, if you see what I mean.
Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
 Photo 
05-18-2017, 12:06 PM   #14
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: San Antonio, TX
Photos: Albums
Posts: 519
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Kerrowdown Quote
For me I think the most original striking image is number nine, the one with all the poles sticking out of the water, a clear winner. With maybe just a wee tweak to straighten up to vertical the posts, if you see what I mean.
Thanks. it's one of my favorites too. What did you do to straighten the posts on the left?
05-18-2017, 12:37 PM   #15
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: May 2015
Location: Hampshire
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 892
I don't know if the judges at the county fair will be expert in matters of photography or local celebrities but wish you luck there. I liked all of them but maybe the astro ones the least. I had the good luck many years ago to see some (film) images taken with a telescope of fantastic coloured galaxies, stars and planets far far away that I thought were great but the stars trails might be something I need to appreciate more.
My favourites were the sunsets, might have been the jellyfish if they were sharper...... as has been mentioned by an earlier poster.
Very eyecatching though.
I would be interested in how your submissions get on.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
critique, photography, pictures
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Caption Contest January 05 2017 .. January 11 2017 Fraggle79 Weekly Photo Challenges 20 01-17-2017 12:09 PM
Misc They coulda been contenders normhead Post Your Photos! 2 08-04-2015 05:24 AM
Fair is Fair: Pentax USA improves Docrwm Photographic Industry and Professionals 5 07-20-2012 07:21 AM
John Audobon House - C&C Requested Ari Post Your Photos! 3 10-07-2007 05:44 AM
wild flowers - C&C requested rfortson Post Your Photos! 10 02-16-2007 06:21 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:16 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top